LG Showcases 5-inch Flexible Panel

One of the most anticipated events at the Society for Information Display (SID) conference in Vancouver was LG’s reveal of its widely anticipated flexible OLED screen. The 5-inch flexible panel is made of an unbreakable plastic material and was designed especially for use in mobile devices.

The South Korean electronics manufacturer had announced the panel’s debut a few days before the SID show, where it also brought its revolutionary curved 55-inch OLED TV and other next generation display technologies.

The 5-inch OLED panel is made of plastic substrates, making it a cheaper alternative to the traditional glass screens. Besides the lower costs, what makes LG’s flexible screen so appealing is the fact that it doesn’t break. This particular feature was successfully tested by several guests to the ID show, who were asked to hit the screen with a hammer to test its resistance.

LG insisted that this flexible, unbreakable screen technology comes at a crucial moment, as more and more people are using smart devices, with a higher risk of causing damage to the same devices. A smartphone equipped with LG’s flexible screen can be dropped on the floor and the panel would remain intact.

More details about when the flexible display will be available to consumers were not revealed, but a company representative told Engadget that the technology is expected to make its debut in a smartphone, most likely LG’s own Optimus, by the end of the year. The company rep also said the panel will most likely be available in multiple sizes and with different resolutions after the smartphone is released.

There are several major electronics manufacturers currently working on flexible display technology. LG’s main rival Samsung is developing its own flexible OLED display with a different type of technology, but is facing delays in the process. Samsung was expected to debut the tech with the upcoming Galaxy Note 3 tablet, but the company announced that this will not happen after all.

At the SID, LG also displayed its new HD Oxide Thin Film Transistor panels, believed to be the next generation TFT technology, along with LCD screens that can be used in automotive dashboards and refrigerators, and an ultra-high resolution display for tablets and monitors.